Last week, a girl named Amelia set out on a mission to uncover a mystery she happened upon while sifting through old belongings of her grandfather’s – Carlos Moreau. With the hope of creating a documentary about his life, about the stories he’d tell her as a child, she discovered a series of photos and writings of his, from back in the day; from the 50′s and 60′s to be more precise.

One of her big discoveries was information about a short story he named “Orbit’s Story” (which he later sold to Walt Disney, and to which he never returned). With this in mind, Amelia set up a blog site at storyorbit.com where she continues to share her discoveries, and also began the @storyorbit twitter account for a little more personal touch with her followers.

Further discoveries include photos taken in and around the “It’s a small world” [IASW] ride at the World’s Fair. The picture Amelia shared of the stack of photos included a couple of hand-written notes, also implying a secret “special project”.

One of the notes also included the phone number (607) 218-5820, that of a company named Lott Family Construction. Calling the number prompts an automated voicemail message from a rather non-technical individual, directing callers to the company’s website: LottFamilyConstruction.com.

This appears to be the company under which construction of the IASW exhibit was commissioned. Further research reveals that the name of its founder, Michael T Lott, does actually appear on a window on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom! Walt Disney and his crew had created fictional companies to purchase land in Florida, and Lott Family Construction may well be one of those companies (in case you haven’t got it yet – read, “M T Lott”)

However, it also seems that not only is it Michael who records the voicemail message, but you are able to contact the company – and Michael – through email. Is Michael Lott real and alive?

Something is fishy about this “special project”, and its connection to It’s a small world, and the Four Winds sculpture which greets people at the exhibit’s entrance.

The Lott Construction website’s client list includes a number of interesting projects, such Mystery Manor and Deluca Fields listed under Special Projects, which follows Cultural Landmarks including Progressland and “it’s a small world”.

Email responses from Michael Lott include a small disclaimer in the footer about privacy and security, but also instructions for clients about about how to access information about their ongoing projects – found on their website by simply appending the project code to the web address. Does this mean there are ‘secret’ projects we can explore on Lott’s website?

Next, Amelia shared a photo of another letter, this one dated June 23, 1952 – Disney’s first contact with Carlos, interested in his Orbit’s Story – over 10 years prior to Carlos’ invitation to the World’s Fair.

What exactly did Disney do with this mysterious short story of Carlos’?

Amelia continues to research her grandfather’s old possessions, looking for more hidden, secret information, and you can follow her progress at storyorbit.com and @storyorbit.

META

Interestingly, speculation arose from Amelia’s followers regarding suspicious similarities in the discoveries so far… The letter from Walt Disney Productions to Carlos was dated 1952 – which happens to be the working title for Disney’s upcoming 2014 Damon Lindelof film Tomorrowland, taking place in 1964.

Back in January, in an eerily similar set of events, following a tweet by Damon Lindelof teasing a photo of a box only labeled “1952″, director Brad Bird tweeted a picture of the box opened, which revealed a whole mess of really cool old…stuff.

[tweet https://twitter.com/BradBirdA113/status/294241097444634625]

Could this be a new big ARG for Disney’s sci-fi flick Tomorrowland? All signs and theories point to Yes!

The official (meta) website for this campaign called “The Optimist” describes it:

Walter Elias Disney was an optimist who believed in creating a living blueprint for the future. He and his Imagineers – those creative and skilled professional wizards who combine imagination and engineering – made fantasy into reality and built the magic of the Disney Theme Parks. But, what if that was just the beginning?

Amelia, a young filmmaker, has stumbled upon a revolutionary secret…and she needs your help. Collaborate with other curious individuals around the globe to solve a mystery that traverses the web, Disneyland® Park, and beyond before culminating at the D23 Expo.

The D23 Expo takes place in Anaheim, California August 9-11, 2013, which makes this a 6 week experience. The film isn’t slated for release for over a year. So, what will await the community at the end of this journey?

We hear that the collaborators are planning an elaborate, very J.J. Abrams–like advanced marketing campaign that will start before filming even begins. The idea is to stage a treasure hunt for intrigued moviegoers that will gradually reveal clues about and build intrigue for the film right up until its release, and which may or may not be related to the contents of the box.

It’s wonderful how much curious fans have already researched and discovered about the real history of Disney! There are some fascinating little-known facts being uncovered. Be sure to follow along with the community:

TRON: Legacy is now in its box office infancy, and still pushing forward. Its promotional ARG “Flynn Lives” has effectively come to a close with players receiving in the mail a special delivery from Zack consisting of a very appropriate collectible pin bearing the phrase: “FLYNN LIVES”. A subdued, yet meaningful ending to the campaign within which many of us spent the last two years immersed.

Wikibruce was along for the ride, hosting and providing an informational resource and guide wiki – for the community, and by the community. As a thanks for your collaborative maintenance, and because the community is simply an awesome group, I was able to put together this raffle to distribute a few of the remaining items I have to give away – but not without a bit of a verification to ensure the recipients were fans who would treat these items with the love and respect they deserve!

Below you’ll find the answers to the (supposedly simple) trivia questions posted each day last week (except the 3rd day when plans were sabotaged by some sort of…rogue process, or something).

Below the answers, you’ll find the list of winners, and a collage of some of those daring enough to be TRONitized on opening weekend in a strive to earn entries for the final raffle items.

For this draw, fans were required to photograph their trip to see Tron: Legacy during opening weekend, earning entries into the final draw by how TRONified they were with those around them. The winners have been selected and will be asked sequentially if they want a blue poster or the No Bit. Once the No Bit is claimed, the rest will receive the blue poster.

Raffle Winners

If you’re on the list below (first names or aliases provided with your entries), you will be contacted by the email address you supplied. If I don’t get a response in a timely manner, or you wish to pass your win, the next name drawn in line will be contacted.

If you are a raffle winner…

Congratulations!

If your name is listed above, I’ll be contacting your for a mailing address. If you’ve had a change of heart, or you’ve perhaps come into possession of the item you just won since you entered, you’re more than welcome to pass up your item to the next name in line to be drawn.

And finally…

Thank you for your support of Wikibruce.com, the Tron/Flynn Lives wiki, and other ARG wikis. You are what make the community an amazing place to hang out in! (dangling participle’d!)

TRON week becomes TRON weekend! Day 5 is here, along with the Tron: Legacy opening weekend. To finish off the week of raffling Tron and Flynn Lives paraphernalia, the final challenge will be more..challenging.

As noted on Day 4, entries for these items will be accepted through Monday evening. The challenge: Take a photo when you go to see Tron: Legacy this weekend, but make sure you capture in it as much TRON-related content and as many people as you can muster! The more you get in the photo, the more entries you earn for the draw!

Day 5/Weekend photo challenge/raffle instructions

Here’s what you need to do to have a chance to win one of the items up for raffle…

See TRON: LEGACY over the weekend (up to and including Sunday night screenings).

Earn entries into the raffle by submitting ONE photo (and not a collage) as evidence. The photo must contain something as visual proof of being at the theater for the this film (ticket stub, something Tron-branded, etc). You can submit as many photos as you like, but only the most recent will be considered for the draw.

You can earn multiple entries into the raffle by qualifying for any of the following ‘achievements’:1 entry:for submitting a qualifying photo (identifiable as being taken at a Tron screening at some point over the weekend)1 entry:if the photo clearly contains at least one piece of TRON-themed clothing (eg, a costume)1 entry: if the photo includes at least one piece of FLYNN LIVES ARG-specific paraphernalia1 entry: if the photo shows a waiting line to buy tickets or enter the theater1 entry for each person: in the photo wearing TRON or FLYNN LIVES gear and posing for the photo (you included if you’re not taking the photo)!

Photos should be submitted to raffle@wikibruce.comSubmissions will be accepted throughMonday 6pm Eastern (3pm Pacific)Include your name and your contact email.Only one photo per person will be considered, so shoot and choose wisely!

Sample photo contents:

Here are some sample photo submissions, so you have an idea of the challenge and how you earn:

A photo taken in the theater holding your TRON: LEGACY ticket stub will get you 1 entry

A photo of you at the theater with someone dressed in a Tron costume will net you 4 entries

A photo taken by you at a midnight premiere screening showing a long waiting line, as well as a group of 10 friends (or random people) posing for the picture, including someone dressed in a Tron costume, a few people wearing Flynn Lives T-shirts and everyone else wearing a pin (clearly visible) from the ARG (whether their own or borrowed), will net you 14 entries!

Simply put, take as Tron-themed and creative a photo as you can when you see the movie this weekend! Did you already see the movie and feel like you missed out on the photo op for the draw? Simple:Go see the movie again! (and take a camera this time) ;)

TRON week returns! Day 4 is here, with more items and information about the final raffle that will last for the weekend to be drawn on Monday!

Having now seen the film at two screenings, I can very much re-iterate: This is a movie worth seeing.

Each day this week a number of items were listed on Wikibruce.com, along with a simple “skill testing question” to ensure at least some level of Tron knowledge or fandom. Now on to today’s raffle details (Day 5 and weekend raffle instructions follow below)

Day 4 Raffle Details:

Post your answer(s) to the items for which you’d like to be entered into the drawing in the comments below, along with your name and email.

You can enter as many times during the week as you like, and for as many items as you like, but only one entry per item!

If more than one of any item exists, more than one name will be drawn (eg, multiple t-shirts listed below means multiple names will be drawn).

Entries (comments to the relevant articles) will be accepted until Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern. Names will be drawn, contacted, and announced shortly thereafter.

Make sure you include your email address with your answer!

Raffle entry is now closed!

For item 1: Flynn Lives pin

10 pins are available

Trivia Question:

Who is heard in the following audio clip, and to whom are they speaking:(listen) Raffle Audio 1

For item 2: ‘Home Of Tron’ Flynn’s Arcade token

5 pins are available

Trivia Question:

Who is heard in the following audio clip, and to whom are they referring:(listen) Raffle Audio 2

For item 3: Encom Guest Badge (San Francisco press event)

5 badges are available

Trivia Question:

Who is heard in the following audio clip, and what’s the significance of this scene:(listen) Raffle Audio 3

Raffle entry is now closed!

Day 5/Weekend photo challenge/raffle instructions

Well, Tron: Legacy premieres tonight first with midnight screenings. Are you planning to see Tron: Legacy at any time this opening weekend? Because that’s the only way you’ll be entered into these final item raffles! Get ready for the challenge!

Here’s what you need to do to have a chance to win one of the items up for raffle…

See TRON: LEGACY this weekend (up to and including Sunday night).

Earn entries into the raffle by submitting ONE photo (and not a collage) as evidence. The photo must contain something as visual proof of being at the theater for the this film (ticket stub, something Tron-branded, etc). you can submit as many photos are you like, but only one will be considered for entries.

You can earn entries into the raffle by qualifying for any of the following ‘achievements’:1 entry:for submitting a qualifying photo (identifiable as being taken at a Tron screening at some point this weekend)1 entry:if the photo clearly contains at least one piece of TRON-themed clothing (eg, a costume)1 entry: if the photo includes at least one piece of FLYNN LIVES ARG-specific paraphernalia1 entry: if the photo shows a waiting line to buy tickets or enter the theater1 entry for each person: in the photo wearing TRON or FLYNN LIVES gear posing for the photo (you included if you’re not taking the photo)!

Photos should be submitted to raffle@wikibruce.com through Monday 6pm Eastern (3pm Pacific). Include your name and your contact email. Remember, only one photo will be considered, so shoot and choose wisely!

Sample photo contents:

Here are some sample photo submissions, so you have an idea of the challenge and how you earn:

A photo taken in the theater holding your TRON: LEGACY ticket stub will get you 1 entry

A photo of you at the theater with someone dressed in a Tron costume will net you 4 entries

A photo taken by you at a midnight premiere screening showing a long waiting line, as well as a group of 10 friends (or random people) posing for the picture, including someone dressed in a Tron costume, a few people wearing Flynn Lives T-shirts and everyone else wearing a pin (clearly visible) from the ARG (whether their own or borrowed), will net you 14 entries!

Simply put, take as Tron-themed and creative a photo as you can when you see the movie this weekend!

TRON week continues, but Day 3 has been sabotaged! Something in the grid has caused a problem, blocking access to my home computer wherein all the details for the raffle are stored. Unfortunately, as I won’t be able to tend to the matter until later tonight (on returning from another Tron: Legacy screening this week, care of Norelco), this means that today’s raffle items list will be postponed until tomorrow.

Day 4 will be up at noon eastern Thursday and will also include today’s items, along with some more questions. Be prepared for Day 5 though! The best is being saved for last, and the ‘skill test’ will be a little more challenging…

Be rezzed to see Tron: Legacy this opening weekend – it is well worth the wait!

TRON week continues! Welcome to Day 2! One free screening has come and gone, and I was among those fortunate enough (an understatement) to experience ‘the grid’ at Toronto’s open screening thanks to the Flynn Lives.

This is a movie worth seeing, at least 9 times. It is the double rainbow of win! It’s over 9000!

As for the raffle – entries are coming in droves, if yesterday was any indication. I have to say it’s wonderful to see people passing on some items they already have to give others a chance in the draw. Also, many thanks to those who have donated some items to be given out to others in this raffle. It’s teamwork and generosity like this that makes an amazing ARG community!

Raffle Details:

Each day this week a number of items will be listed on Wikibruce.com, along with a simple “skill testing question” to ensure at least some level of Tron knowledge or fandom. Post your answer(s) to the items for which you’d like to be entered into the drawing in the comments below, along with your name and email.

You can enter as many times during the week as you like, and for as many items as you like, but only one entry per item!

If more than one of any item exists, more than one name will be drawn (eg, multiple t-shirts listed below means multiple names will be drawn).

Entries (comments to the relevant articles) will be accepted until Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern. Names will be drawn, contacted, and announced shortly thereafter.

Make sure you include your email address with your answer!

Raffle entry is now closed!

For today’s skill-testing questions, use the clips from the image below to answer any of the following questions:

For item 1: SamTracker 89 Pin+Sticker

2 pins/stickers are available

Trivia Question:

In the image above:A) What business had its home in this building?

For item 2: Space Paranoids Pin

7 pins are available

Trivia Question:

In the image above:B) What vehicle is being driven in this scene?

For item 3: Flynn Lives T-Shirt

7 extra-large t-shirts are available, plus 1 largePlease indicate if you’d like to try for the Large (if you do and the large is drawn by someone else, you’ll remain in the draw for an XL unless you indicate otherwise)

Trivia Question:

In the image above:C) What’s the name of this character?

Are you rezzed? Here we go, start answering! And don’t forget to see Tron: Legacy this week :)

It’s here, Tron week! TRON: LEGACY will premiere on Friday Dec 17th in 3D and IMAX where available, starting with midnight screenings. Not only that, there are now two opportunities for fans and dedicated movie-goers to see Tron: Legacy in 3D for free at select limited theaters across North America.

First, as a reward for all who participated in the FLYNN LIVES promotional ARG, you can visit FlynnLives.com/Electrify to locate a nearby theater for free public entry Monday Dec 13th on a first come first served basis (it will be chaos!)

Secondly, for the lucky folk who managed to snag a ticket from Norelco’s ticket snatching marketing ploy at 3dshave.com and 3dshave.ca, another screening will take place on Wednesday Dec 15th.

The FLYNN LIVES campaign has effectively come to an end with the completion of the DigitalPulse puzzle trail – the actions that allowed a portal to be opened between the grid and the real world. It’s believed to be we, Kevin Flynn’s supporters, who created the means for Alan to receive the supposed page from Kevin Flynn. What a way to end the campaign and lead in to the film!

Now, to celebrate TRON week and the completion of the ARG, Wikibruce will be raffling off a selection of Flynn Lives and Tron paraphernalia.

Raffle Details:

Each day a number of items will be listed on Wikibruce.com, along with a simple “skill testing question” to ensure at least some level of Tron knowledge. Post your answer and name in the comments below, and you’ll be entered in the draw to win any of the items listed.

The prizes will get bigger and better as the week goes on :)

You can enter as many times during the week as you like, and for as many items as you like, but only one entry per item!

If more than one of any item exists, more than one name will be drawn (eg, two coasters as listed below means two names will be drawn).

Entries will be accepted until Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern. Names will be drawn, contacted, and announced shortly thereafter.

How fast can you figure this one out? http://xdqlrpgmqivgca9tfjcqddnbxt.com

On visiting the headache-inducing URL, players were presented with an equally headache-inducing visual design reminiscent of the website that led to the Pitcell trailer online at program-glitch-esc.net exactly 7 months earlier.

This time, the website provided three downloadable ZIP files containing a total of 168 text files. Each text file was an ASCII art image of either a Yes bit or a No bit.

Players quickly discovered that the files within each ZIP represented binary sequences, and once decoded became:

tron night 2010.com

TronNight2010.com announced the availability of exclusive tickets to another movie preview night on October 28th, and the tickets would go up for grabs on a first-come first-served basis globally, the following Tuesday October 12 at 1pm Eastern time.

The “Tron Night” preview events were to take place in locations around the globe: 31 US states, 4 major Canadian cities, Mexico, 27 European countries, 13 countries in Asia, as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

On Tuesday, the floodgates were opened, and the world fell on the website. Tickets were snapped up almost instantly, selling out some locations, after having four days for the word to spread. The rabid Tron: Legacy fan base, with no hint at more than a 20 minute movie preview, eagerly wanted in.

Tonight is Tron Night. Some even refer to this day, October 28th as TRON Day. The expectations for the event are high, indeed! Will this event live up to the hype? The last preview event had fans eager for excitement, to be shown a brief 3D trailer of Tron: Legacy, and nothing officially more.

Whatever the case may be, excitement is high for Disney’s Tron Night 20 minute preview event.

Now some local TRONto TRON Day fun!

I (thebruce) will be in attendance at the Toronto TRON Night event, at the Scotiabank IMAX theater. So, to add a little fun to the day, I thought it would be a good opportunity to hand out a bunch of Flynn Lives ARG swag to some dedicated fans!

Here’s what you need to do if you want to get some…

Once I arrive in Toronto, I’ll be using foursquare to check in to specific locations, to pass the time through the afternoon. Follow @Wikibruce, @Thebruce0, or Wikibruce on Facebook and watch for the updates. BUT! You must also watch for the simple task accompanying each check-in that you need to complete or to be prepared for before you find me. In order to win a bag’o’FlynnLives swag, you’ll need to be the first to find me, withthe task completed.

There will be fouropportunities to find me before the event, with prizes including FlynnLives.com achievement codes, Sam “89″ logo pins and stickers, and Space Paranoids pins… amongst some other items.

To be fair, anyone can try for this, whether you managed to claim tickets to the event or not – as long as you’re a Tron: Legacy fan! (only one win per person though, to be fair)

If it happens that no one finds me before I move on to a different location, the tasks can still be completed and swag claimed if I’m located at anywhere else, any time, up to the preview event at the theater. Perhaps nothing will even be claimed by the time event starts!

Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with the marketing of the film or the event, so this is purely my simple way of giving a bit to the fans on the local grid.

Also, I lost three special Flynn’s Arcade tokens last time I was in Toronto, so if you find them, please let me know!

See you later in Toronto, maybe!

UPDATE: Well, isn’t that strange… Apparently some program on the grid by the name of “KLOO” just commented below saying he was able to determine the tokens’ locations in Toronto, and will be publishing their calculated GPS coordinates when he finds available windows of communication. I’ll re-post them if necessary — If you find any, please retrieve them, and find me! There are rewards for their return…

UPDATE: TRON Night just finished, but it looks like KLOO came through after all! He commented again below with the locations of the 3 tokens:

ERR6871:UNKSRC:—————————————————//got it! quickly: I got the word from a trustworthy source, the three tokens are located at // 43.64500, -79.38675 north of the MTCC, on an inside ledge // 43.65058, -79.39063 st.patrick’s market square, nw corner of center ledge, dirt’s edge // 43.65283, -79.38751 University &amp; Armoury, behind nw bench, edge of wood chips // I hope they’re found // good luck, gotta g–//

The tokens are specially identified, so if you find one at any point, please hold on to it and contact me by any means available. I’d like to award you with some Flynn Lives memorabilia!

It’s prompting nostalgic retro-flashbacks to the 80′s, all this hype for the upcoming film Tron: Legacy – a sequel to the classic cult sci-fi adventure from 1982 Tron. But the new face of Tron presented by 21st century technology and special effects has the fan-base in a tizzy. It’s having a similar effect as the recent reboot of Batman had; and perhaps it’s not unconnected that the same marketing team behind Batman’s Why So Serious campaign is heading up Tron’s Flynn Lives campaign.

Last year at the San Diego Comic-Convention, a very successful liveevent (with online components) was the platform for the public revelation of a life-size ‘Light-cycle’ and the first public teaser trailer from the film (watch the official video recap here!). This event opened the door for fans to start following FlynnLives.com – hoping, wishing, and praying that whatever happens between then and the movie’s release would also award them with some sweetTronswag! If the Comic-Con event was any indicator, Tron fans would be in for a wild ride over the next year.

Sure enough, in early February 2010 I, along with other people all over the globe began receiving small packages in the mail containing a palm-sized “Bit” as seen in the original Tron, with a hand-written phrase written on the inside lid of the box reading “/zerohour“. From this, the website FlynnLives.com/ZeroHour was discovered with a binary-coded countdown to 11am EST, February 24th – Zero Hour.

The Tron community erupted with theories, as over the next few days a mysterious message was slowly revealed below. A list of cities appeared, located within the United States, Canada, France, UK, and Australia – but there were no instructions accompanying them.

An email was distributed just before “Zero hour” hit reminding people to watch their nearest city. Right on schedule, three cities first lit up linked with instructions to meet a contact at a specific time and place in each city. What happened was a feeding frenzy of F5′s and website refreshes for the next 9 hours as all 27 cities lit up three at a time. At the drop points, the first person to arrive and say the code phrase to the waiting contact (and only the first person!) would be given a cell phone by which they were instructed to locate a deaddrop containing exclusive Tron collectible swag – as well as codes to be entered online.

At this point, FlynnLives.com allowed anyone to create a profile, including contact information. This implied potential phone calls, text messages, even physical mail to be distributed in coming months. Once signed up and connecting the profile to a facebook account, players discovered they could earn achievement badges – bragging rights. Additionally, those lucky enough to be the first to each ZeroHour location and enter at least one of the discovered codes online also received a special achievement, and their name listed as one of 66 special operatives.

At the end of this ZeroHour event, players online and offline were rewarded with a new desktop background, and instructions to visit PitCell.com at 4:00pm EST the next day — to be the first to register for an exclusive, limited IMAX screening in one of five listed cities: Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London, and Sydney. Of what the screening is – still a mystery.

The next day, when this second zero hour hit, once again the refresh-frenzy began. Word had spread over the course of the day through mainstream media, and people worldwide were waiting in anticipation for the moment the (FREE!) ticket registration for this IMAX event would open. In an unbelievable record (where is Guinness to confirm?) The Los Angeles IMAX event was flagged SOLD OUT in under one minute. New York quickly followed suit about 5 minutes later. Toronto and London were next in short order, and Sydney selling out closed the deal.

A leading theory at this point is that individuals who grabbed a ticket in time (which is good for two people) will have access to view a special IMAX 3D scene from Tron, much like the 6 minute prologue scene for Batman: The Dark Knight. But details about the Tron screening as of this writing are still up in the air.

That’s not the end of it, however. After the updates, more was discovered online. Additional mysteries and strange codes, a hidden discussion forum with reference to Encom International, and what appears to be a deeper story still to be unraveled.

With tron: Legacy not slated for release until December 17th, 2010, this hype campaign is sure to kick up a notch or few in upcoming months, and those who miss out on this IMAX event shouldn’t fret about missing out entirely. Sign up for a profile, and watch for any opportunity to get in this game! One thing to keep in mind is that this kind of catering to a market fanbase is best and most successful when free, and only as good and enjoyable as the fans, players, and community make it.

In an attempt to cover quite a number of running projects and games, here are a few launches, news items, and announcements to pore over.

Serious Games

Akoha – Come play it forward!Self-labeled as a “social reality game”, Akoha is physical card-based game with ‘act-of-kindness’ missions to carry out on or with friends. You can get cards by buying decks, or by being given a card by someone who just completed a task. The visual explanation explains how players registered at akoha.com can see each card’s history of good deeds (including video blogs, testimonies, etc), who’s done what, when and where, and players can also earn karma points for carrying out these tasks. With enough karma you can begin creating other missions for people to carry out. Akoha is currently in a beta testing phase, but it’s a “big, bold and crazy kind of idea”, and it’s Canadian!

Ruby’s BequestRuby’s Bequest is a new game from Institute for the Future telling the story of the (fictional) town Deepwell and its residents, and providing “a unique immersive experience in which thousands of people will help forecast the future of caring in the United States.”. Sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy and AARP, the game will play similarly to World Without Oil, where 7 years will pass between the month starting from launch, March 9th to the April 10th conclusion. Find out more information and join in at RubysBequest.org

Movies/TV

Terminator: Connor Chronicles or Salvation?A website has recently appeared on the radar: SkynetResearch.com. Little to nothing is known about it besides what’s currently visible. More weight seems to be placed on this being related to Terminator: Salvation, slated for May 22 release, as the site is owned by Warner Bros, according to the Privacy Policy linked in its footer. What do you think?

Video Games

FEAR 2 Level III TestingFEAR 2′s viral campaign recently executed a live event in New York City, with the Armacham Mobile FEAR Lab experience. Silver case recipient J.C Hutchins was on the scene to record the report the entire experience. Read about and watch his test and experience at JCHutchins.net. Visit Armacham.com (don’t be afraid!) and see what upcoming dates are listed on the calendar… FEAR 2: Project Origin is slated for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, February 10th.

Singularity’s Mir-12Russian spies, conspiracies, sci-fi, gorgeous women, it’s all here: visit MIR-12.com to find out what happened to Natasha Norvikov, and follow the ongoing investigations. If you can read Russian, you’ll have a much easier time! Raven software is releasing their first person shooter Singularity on Xbox360, PS3, and PC soon.

Halo Mysteries Return:Mbaraki.2552 – Reported yesterday here at Wikibruce, new mysterious content has appeared in Bungie’s weekly updates in the Halo 3: ODST sections. The latest insert: “IDENT PROC 13262.0 MBARAKI.2552″ appeared in Jan 30th’s news.
* B.Net group Compound Intelligence discussion (membership req’d)The Way Their World Ended – a twitter account named intimation, believed to be run by a form of AI, made contact with some people earlier this year. A dream-style puzzle was solved leading to the website thewaytheirworldended.com with weekly updates. Explicit references have been made to Halo, and past ARGs Iris, and I Love Bees. Speculation is mixed as to whether this is official or a grassroots ARG.
* Unfiction discussion

More Mirror’s Edge?Hot on the heals of EA’s release of Mirror’s Edge, a new mystery has arisen hinting at an upcoming Mirror’s Edge 2 (confirmed to eventually become a trilogy). Pirandello/Kruger teases a red door… which soon after led to Newstream Energy. The investigation is ongoing!

Grassroots / other

Are you 23?Disney’s launched a countdown of their own, located at Disney.com/23, for March 10, 2009. What’s so special about the number 23? (Besides Jim Carrey’s movie of the same name) Speculation, as it pertains to Disney, makes note of points such as Disney’s founding in 1923, or Steve Jobs’ purchase of Pixar in 1986 (23 years ago). The leading speculation which seems to be gaining ground is that it’s related to the March launch of Disney’s “Club 23″ (or D-23?) program. A revealing post on a Disney site has since been removed, but you can read the message here.

Ice Shock – DescendantM.G.Harris was fairly open and public about an upcoming ARG for her book “Ice Shock“, which I reported on via ARGN.com back in November. She has now revealed the name: The Descendant, in a recent blog post. You can watch a 60-second trailer for the upcoming ARG at TheMGHarris.com fan site. Harris has slated its launch for March this year.

Yellow Curtain returns!The Yellowcurtain wiki was recently updated with the news: “ATTENTION: Countdown for Yellow Curtain Episode 3 is ON!” While Episode 3 was apparently scheduled for launch January 15th, it may have been pushed a few weeks. Visit Yellowcurtain.com, watch anashel’s channel, or join the Facebook group for updates.

PRESS RELEASE: Hall Industries to take Gaming to the Next Level with ‘Hero Rising’

Hall Industries, one of the world’s leading technology and entertainment companies, is inviting all gamers (both casual and serious) to join the free beta test of HERO RISING at HeroRising.com. Players can test their gaming skills in areas of logic, combat, observation, agility, accuracy, strategy and reflexes and compete against other gamers from around the world for a chance to become the best.

Utilizing state-of-the-art behavioral interpretation, statistical analysis and artificial intelligence software, Hall Industries will be able to gather gameplay data during the beta test at an unprecedented level of detail. Based on this information, we hope to make the complete HERO RISING experience the most entertaining and groundbreaking game the world has ever seen.

Since it’s founding, Hall Industries has been a leader in its fields, working with both government and private sector organizations to stay on the leading edge of modern technology. Our Game Development Studio boasts the best and most creative minds in computer animation, motion capture, 3D rendering and experiential programming and continues to provide industry-leading products to our high-expectations gaming audience.

Visit HeroRising.com, and you’ll find that Disney has enlisted the help of ‘Hall Industries’ to create this web-based video game called Hero Rising.

Here’s where it gets interesting… (if you weren’t already, that is)

A little more digging reveals some hidden nuggets. For an extended period of the intro, the message seems to ‘break’ and strange programming code scrolls up along the screen…

Flashing occasionally during the mysterious transmission is a set of numbers…

02 13 09 (Feb 13, 2009?)

What’s special about that date?

Is there more to this “BETA TEST” than meets the eye? And who are Hall Industries, and why does this gaming system they’ve created seem suspicious?